Annie [Blu-ray]

Director: John Huston John Huston

Overview

This family classic is adapted from the Broadway musical, which was based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie. During the Great Depression in New York City, a plucky red-haired scrapper named Annie (Aileen Quinn) is the voice of hope for her fellow orphans who live under the supervision of drunken floozy Miss Hannigan (Carol Burnett). Annie's spirit is fueled by the belief that her real parents dropped her off at the orphanage with a half of a locket, promising to return for her with the other half. One day, the dingy orphanage is visited by the sophisticated Grace Farrell (Ann Reinking), personal secretary to conservative politician Oliver Warbucks (Albert Finney). In order to improve his image, Grace brings Annie to the Warbucks estate for a weeklong visit. Annie quickly wins the hearts of servants and politicians alike, eventually even bringing her song of hope, "Tomorrow," to President Roosevelt in Washington. Warbucks and Grace even go so far as to perform a public search for Annie's parents, creating an opportunity for Miss Hannigan, Rooster (Tim Curry), and Lily (Bernadette Peters) to scam their way to the reward money.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/02/2012
UPC:	0043396392724
Original Release:	1981
Rating:	PG
Source:	SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMT
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:07:00
Sales rank:	2,109

Special Features

Sing-along Blu-ray exclusive! Sing along to all of your favorte songs from the film!; My Hollywood adventure with Aileen Quinn

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Albert Finney	Daddy Warbucks
Carol Burnett	Miss Hannigan
Aileen Quinn	Annie
Bernadette Peters	Lily
Tim Curry	Rooster
Geoffrey Holder	Punjab
Roger Minami	Asp
Toni Ann Gisondi	Molly
Rosanne Sorrentino	Pepper
Lara Berk	Tessie
April Lerman	Kate
Lucie Stewart	Duffy
Robin Ignico	July
Edward Herrmann	Franklin D. Roosevelt
Peter Marshall	Bert Healy
Murphy Cross	Boylan Sister
Nancy Sinclair	Actor
I.M. Hobson	Drake
Lu Leonard	Mrs. Pugh
Mavis Ray	Actor
Pam Blair	Actor
Colleen Zenk	Actor
Victor Griffin	Actor
Jerome Collamore	Frick
Jon Richards	Frack
Wayne Cilento	Actor
Ken Swofford	Weasel
Larry Hankin	Pound Man
Irving Metzman	Bundles
Angela Martin	Actor
Kurtis Epper Sanders	Spike
Ann Reinking	Grace Farrell
Lois DeBanzie	Eleanor Roosevelt
Robert Guerra	Actor
Sandy	Himself
Loni Ackerman	Boylan Sister
Shawnee Smith	Dancer
Amanda Peterson	Dancer
Cherie Michan	Dancer
Charles Strouse	Composer
Ralph Burns	Composer

Technical Credits

Carol Sobieski

Thomas Meehan

John Huston	Director
Carol Sobieski	Screenwriter
Joe Layton	Executive Producer
Ray Stark	Producer
Raymond Stark	Producer
Gene Cantamessa	Sound Mixer
Thomas Meehan	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

John Huston's Annie is a contemporary classic that embodies a timeless quality that few films of the 1980s have been able to accomplish. The dream casting may be its best asset, especially with Albert Finney throwing his weight around as Daddy Warbucks. Comedienne Carol Burnett is a perfect choice for the skinny, shaky Miss Hannigan, offering a complementary combination of drunken pratfalls and spinster cynicism. Even in the smaller roles that don't show up until Act III, Tim Curry's Rooster and Bernadette Peters' Lily St. Regis are dastardly comic villains. They bring a fun-filled badness into the picture when it looks like things are getting a little too sentimental. The climactic scene is a cinematic feast, employing a vertical train-bridge set piece complete with Punjab's (Geoffrey Holder) philosophical helicopter rescue. The Oscar-nominated art direction effectively re-creates Depression-era New York, of which a rascally orphan with immeasurable faith is an excellent symbol. Especially entertaining is the Bert Healy (Peter Marshall) radio show program and the orphans' gymnastic make-believe emulation of the broadcast. The wish-fulfillment theme culminates in the glorious trip to Radio City Music Hall with the actual Rockettes opening number "Let's Go to the Movies." Throughout the film, the songs are ridiculously catchy, danceable, and soaring with emotion, making Annie a well-rounded musical and ageless family favorite.

All Movie Guide - Andrea LeVasseur